Pursuing A Higher Education Is More Than Getting Training For A Job

When it comes to the topic of attaining a college degree, most will readily agree that it is essential to securing a successful career post-graduation. Whereas some are convinced that a college degree does not guarantee entry into a career in one 's field of study nor does it determine success in one 's career, others maintain that a higher education is, in fact, the way to job security and financial success. What comes into question is whether the investment in a college education is truly worth it or not in order to accomplish a student 's goals of success. I think it could be said for most prospective college students that the reason for going to college is to gain the credentials required for most jobs today. What many of those potential students may not realize is the substantial percentage of graduates who do not acquire a job related to their majors, how much debt they will incur, and just how many students don 't graduate at all for reasons such as an overwhelming workload and a poor work/ life balance.

Being in college has taught me that what you majored in does not matter when it comes to finding a career, as long as you have the experience you will be fine. I tend to question myself all the time as to “Why am I attending college when most employers probably would not care about my Bachelors or Associates Degree.” My doubtfulness of college brought me to come across the article “No, It Doesn't Matter What You Majored In”, by Carlo Rotella. Carlo Rotella is a director of the Americans Studies Program and the author of several books. The author believes that “Prospective employers frequently don’t really care what you majored in” Page 468.

In the article "Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire," writer Peter Cappelli argues that while specializing in post-secondary school is beneficial and could possibly lead to a future career that is currently trending, parents and students should look into broadening their skills by taking courses that widen their communication, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills. This may enable them to work where there are prevailing industries.

High school graduates across America are realizing the major benefit of joining the workforce instead of going to a traditional college. According to a study conducted by John Tyler a doctoral student at Harvard “a growing number of recent college graduates working in jobs for which they are overeducated”(Tyler, John, and Richard J. Murnane.) So why go to college if you won’t even get the job you studied for? This question brings up an accurate point as to why not all high school graduates should go to college. College students are also being surveyed on what would they do if they could restart high school graduation. Startupcamp states “About one-third of millennials say they would have been better off working, instead of going to college and paying tuition”(Partridge). With a statistic like this, it would make even the most biased college bound graduate question his/her decision. Before making such a huge decision on whether or not to go to college remember that blue collar jobs are available and not every single individual will get hired in their desired

“In the United States today, there is no more certain investment than a college education”(Carnevale and Melton). Education has always been a major component of American society. One can only go so far without an education, and the more education and knowledge someone has, the better their chances of being successful. Some people believe a high school education is enough, and it is, enough to land a job at a fast food restaurant. I speculate they feel this way because they feel school is not for them, or maybe they just do not want to go far in life. To get far in life people must go above and beyond, and learn things that others do not know to make them

Colleges are struggling to adapt to society’s changing requirements for adults entering the work force. John Fawell laments this change and states that humans intrinsically desire to learn more for the purpose of knowing more. However, the focus has shifted away from this and has become more career-oriented. This shift is not well supported in the current college system. The education system is aware of this change and some have modified their programs, but they are too narrow and a broad college education is lost. Even though it has become almost mandatory in society, a college degree does not prepare students for a real-world work environment and is not necessary for most occupations. Many, such as lawyers or doctors, do require further education and a system that instructs them while also training the majority of the workforce would be an improvement.

Students all over America are asking if college is worth it in the long run. Many people are bringing up the fact that “only half of the jobs landed by these new graduates even require a college degree” (Rampell 293). But according

Bok states, “According to one survey, 60 percent of Arts and Sciences professors do not even think that preparing for a job is a particularly important goal for undergraduates” (Derek Bok, 36). Bok is quite puzzled since about three-fourths of new college students presume preparing for a job is the key component of attending college. According to Bok, Liberal arts professors believe that once they integrate some aspect of a vocational program students will become more concentrated on learning the competent skills necessitated by the jobs. Bok also provides background information on vocational program in which he states that, “Since the average length of time people stay in their first job has shrunk dramatically, more and more employers want their employees to “hit the ground running” without having to receive costly training before the company” (Derek Bok, 39). Students are already being pressured by employers to have these skills needed for the job perfected by the time they graduate so the companies won’t spend resources on training. With the pressures employers place on the arriving college students they feel as if they have to choose a career and prepare for it as

That doesn’t mean it’s always in someone’s best interest to go to college. “By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing them a disservice,” wrote Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill in “Should Everyone Go to College?” (Downey N. pag.). You should always consider your intended occupation. A degree doesn’t always promise to make you more money than if you only had a high school education. Recognizing tuition cost is out pacing inflation, you have to make sure your degree is worth the time, money, and effort you’re about to put into it. ‘’With fast-rising tuitions and stagnant wages, fewer of us are immune from borrowing to pay for our university education. And delaying or forgoing college while we save is a difficult option: according to the Center for American Progress, weekly earnings for workers with a bachelor’s degree were $1,066 in 2012, compared to $652 for workers with a high school diploma. Those without a degree are nearly twice as likely to be unemployed. For many, going to college, then, is simultaneously a rational economic choice and an economic disaster’’ (Clark N. pag.). Often if a four-year degree isn’t right for someone they might try a different, cheaper route such as; training certification, a trade school, or online courses (Downey N.

College is a great place for many to experience new things and to further education. However, college is not for everyone. According to the film Ivory Tower, college teaches people valuable skills such as networking with peers and extensive knowledge. College also provides students, upon graduation, with a degree and proper credentials. Based on a survey done by the Pew Research Center; the article “The Rising Cost of Not going to College,” states that “economic analysis consistently find that college graduates regardless of generation are doing better than those with less education,” this shows that there is a reasonable gap between a college degree and a high school diploma. On the other hand, it may not be worth the rising costs. Carolina Bird, author of “Where College Fails Us,” mentions in her article “in the current slowdown it has become evident that there were never, and probably never will be, enough jobs requiring higher education to go around,” (59-60) this shows some people's job outlook may not be aligned with their major. Jeffrey Selingo’s article “Is College Worth the Cost? Many Recent Graduates Don’t Think So,” says that “nearly half of college graduates in their 20s are underemployed, meaning the jobs they have do not require a bachelor’s degree,” this brings up the possibility of college not being beneficial to many. College can be needed because of higher salaries after graduation and providing people with the tools to succeed. On the contrary, going to

Pharinet states “often the desire for learning is not what drives students to attend college” (635. Practical Argument: A Text and Anthology). We have developed in a society where everyone is expected to proceed to college. In actuality, nearly all people are not qualified for it. We are practically produced and accustom to believe that everyone needs a higher education in order to be successful. There are people who have never attended college and are progressing better than those who graduate with a bachelor’s or master’s degree. “The specter of successful college dropouts like Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs weigh on young people making the decision on whether or not to go to college” (usnews.com). The main reason why everyone wants to be accepted to college is not for themselves but because they are pressured to by guidance counselors and parents claiming it is the right choice to

There are the students who decide not to go to college and start a career instead. They enter true adult life right out of high school. Life for those students is not getting any better. From 1987 to 2007, average lifetime income for a high school graduate dropped by 20 percent while the average lifetime income for college graduates has raised by one percent (Davies). The value of a high school diploma is dropping. The knowledge gained in high school is not enough for a good paying job. For those looking to go on to a higher education are also unprepared. They are paying large amounts of money for college to learn what they should already know. This problem with young adults can be traced back to school before high school.

One must consider their choice of major, cost of school, where they are attending school, and a variety of other factors. Depending on the situation college may not be a smart investment (Owen and Sawhill 209). I agree with this notion that some people are not meant for college, but we as a society still push the idea of college which creates conflicting thoughts in the mind of a student. When discussing the benefits of attending college the biggest supporting reason revolves around further expanding one’s knowledge in order to earn a higher income. They use ethos in their appeals but they fail to provide evidence of this. They may show numbers that are skewed showing the difference in salary of a high school graduate and a college graduate but they don’t show the majors that earning that high income. They don’t show the number of college graduates without a job and how much debt they are in. Owen and Sawhill do a tremendous job in their report of giving us those numbers and statistics to back up their

College is a stepping stone into the real world. Many students would agree they pursue a college degree to obtain more money in their career. However, this pursuit isn’t only because of money, but also led by the heart-felt desires of the students. Conversely, Harvey Bump comments “Only those who are independently wealthy can afford the luxury of developing their souls while in college. College education in 2015 must be job training”. There is no exclusiveness to students who want to follow what majors they’re interested in. Lynn O’Shaughnessy clarifies in her article, “8 Reasons Not to Get a Business Degree”, that parents pressure their children into selecting “practical majors” based on their perception of what the job market needs. Many

One thing that varies faster than the gasoline price may be the debate around the value of a right path for a young adult— which major guarantees a smooth access to a decent job offer. According to the article, “Not All College Majors Are Created Equal”, the author, Michelle Singletary, indicates that college degrees are not the same based on the different majors. She starts her article with a question that she asked her college students, “What’s your major?” Singletary immediately determines her student’s future by the major that the student is choosing. Later in the article, she states her opinions on how majors have played a great important role in one’s career life by using different examples and statistics. Indeed, college majors are not